NEC 23" IPS EA231WMi

Just picked up an EA231Wmi for $300 shipped from overstock.com. Mention this deal http://www.overstock.com/13372/static.html?cid=122704&AID=10668447&PID=361116&SID=FW8m9g48 to a representative and it should be good for 10% off (worked for me). Also, since they refund the difference vs. discounting the item directly, fatwallet cashback or bing might be good for an extra $15 or so . . . (still waiting on this).

In any case, uniformity issues seem to be pretty good for me, but text is coming up a little fuzzy on certain sites. On some pages the text appears fine and non-uniform in it's fineness with a greenish tint in the finer areas of the text. Windows cleartype helped a bit, but the problem is by no means gone. And making the text very large will eventually fix the issues. Text overall is not nearly as crisp as the monitor I upgraded from (Acer H213H). My VGA driver is brand new. Running Windows 7 64-bit.

Any ideas on how to remedy the problem?

I would include a screenshot, but the problem doesn't show up when I do that.
 
Blazestorm said:
They can seem much worse if you have a long exposure time etc.
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I don't mean to be rude, but if the person behind the camera doesn't really know what they are doing any monitor can be made to look bad.

As Blazestorm has already alluded to, the pics that come out are dependent on exposure time, eV level, flash, lighting conditions etc.

IOW u can't judge whether the monitor has serious backlight problems from 1 photo. Take a series of photos at various exposures and brightness settings and then u can make a valid decision.

I took a really bad picture of my NEC and the backlight appeared to be horrendous. After a bit of fiddling around however with settings all was not too bad...

If I find the original I will upload.
 
Sgt_Strider said:
Anymore comments on this setup? I'm about to buy one and connect my PS3 to it. I could use some more comments on the picture quality.
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Just checked and 1080p24 won't work with the PS3 and this monitor. The PS3 still looks great in 1080p on this monitor, despite the lack of support for 72hz, though so don't let that put you off from using the PS3 with it.
 
HardBard said:
I'd also prefer the silver/white color, but can't find it in the US. Anyone find it available in the US?

Note: I see the silver/white on the NEC UK web site, but not on the US NEC web site.
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I received a reply from NEC America when I queried H/O direct re buying the NEC in Silver/White in America. There response was brief and to the point. I have deleted it unfortunately since from my mailbox, otherwise I would have pasted here.

Suffice to say the Silver/White is not available in America.

If it had been, I would have saved myself a ton of cash from importing from the EU.

But I simply liked the look of the Silver/White too much and was willing to pay the extra.

If you really want it try some of the UK/German retailers. A lot of them deliver abroad....for a cost. :eek:


EDIT: The response I received also intimated that they did not know if/when they would ever bring in the Silver/White to America. I took this to mean it wasn't going to happen...at least not any time soon.
 
I need a monitor mostly for text editing and web surfing, most of the times it will be used in portrait mode with my Macbook pro. I was considering NEC ea231wmi but as i can see it has some text issues. Should i give it a try or get something else? Currently i have ASUS WK246H and very unsatisfied with viewing angles especially in portrait mode.
 
This is very interesting. Go to this link (its safe, dont worry) and LISTEN to your monitor. Mine makes a god awful sound when viewing this page of text. It only has done it with this page and no others, which is good because if it did...it would be going back.

http://www.aintitcool.com/node/43749
 
duder1234 said:
This is very interesting. Go to this link (its safe, dont worry) and LISTEN to your monitor. Mine makes a god awful sound when viewing this page of text. It only has done it with this page and no others, which is good because if it did...it would be going back.

http://www.aintitcool.com/node/43749
Click to expand...

It's because that page features both Dolph Lundgren AND John-Claude Van Damme.

Had Stephen Seagal also featured on that page, your monitor would have burst into flames.

P.S. - EDIT - to answer your question, my monitor makes no sound on that page. It is rightfully scared silent of the wrath of the Muscles from Brussels.
 
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Elman said:
I need a monitor mostly for text editing and web surfing, most of the times it will be used in portrait mode with my Macbook pro. I was considering NEC ea231wmi but as i can see it has some text issues. Should i give it a try or get something else? Currently i have ASUS WK246H and very unsatisfied with viewing angles especially in portrait mode.
Click to expand...
This "text issue" that was mentioned on this or on the previous page relates to the typical anti-glare coating on IPS panels. Since it's more like a IPS panel characteristic, it's not really a specific issue with only this monitor. Just clarifying, in case you got the wrong idea.
 
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Betaboy said:
It's because that page features both Dolph Lundgren AND John-Claude Van Damme.

Had Stephen Seagal also featured on that page, your monitor would have burst into flames.
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AHAHAHAH! I knew someone was going to say something like that! But seriously, does anyone's monitor do the same thing?
 
HowzThat said:
I don't mean to be rude, but if the person behind the camera doesn't really know what they are doing any monitor can be made to look bad.

As Blazestorm has already alluded to, the pics that come out are dependent on exposure time, eV level, flash, lighting conditions etc.

IOW u can't judge whether the monitor has serious backlight problems from 1 photo. Take a series of photos at various exposures and brightness settings and then u can make a valid decision.

I took a really bad picture of my NEC and the backlight appeared to be horrendous. After a bit of fiddling around however with settings all was not too bad...

If I find the original I will upload.
Click to expand...

Ok, you have a point about the exposure of the photo. The first one was too bright. I've taken another one properly this time, and matched the exposure on the camera's lcd as close as I could, then tweaked it a little bit in Photoshop with my calibrated profile loaded (so the gamma is correct). This is exactly how it looks to my eyes in a dark room, including the blue tint in the bleed.

4305041790_bde136dc95_o.jpg


It's very distracting, especially in movies. I don't notice it too much in games. In windows, the green tint on the left side of the screen is annoying. Can't wait for NEC's new monitors to come out soon......
 
I think that might have to relate to IPS glow as others have pointed out.

Now if you change angles, if it's backlight bleed those spots should look the same. But if they change, than it's IPS glow... I think atleast..
 
erictooth said:
Ok, you have a point about the exposure of the photo. The first one was too bright. I've taken another one properly this time, and matched the exposure on the camera's lcd as close as I could, then tweaked it a little bit in Photoshop with my calibrated profile loaded (so the gamma is correct). This is exactly how it looks to my eyes in a dark room, including the blue tint in the bleed.

4305041790_bde136dc95_o.jpg


It's very distracting, especially in movies. I don't notice it too much in games. In windows, the green tint on the left side of the screen is annoying. Can't wait for NEC's new monitors to come out soon......
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eric...I'd relax about this. Every monitor I've owned or seen will do this to some degree, it's normal. My Viewsonic VX2025wm did this. My U2410 has a glow in the corners as well. It's a limitation of the technology/backlight. Nothing to worry about.

If you really want perfection, get an Eizo, LaCie or a high-end NEC. You will pay over $1000. Even then there will be issues, most likely input lag or your credit card interest rate.

Otherwise, just enjoy your monitor.

These forums are the very definition of a double-edged sword. On one hand, you can get good advice about potential REAL problems with monitors such as the dithering in the U2410, which has thankfully been fixed.

On the other hand, these forums can turn even a mild-mannered, relaxed individual into and obsessive-compulsive, anxiety-ridden, self-trained monitor fault finding technician - who spends hours peering into the screen at bizarre angles while hanging upside-down from the ceiling, shining UV beams into refractory lenses at the anti-glare coating. Hunting for dead pixels with your eye an inch from the screen, adding 'Lagom' to your Favorites bar replacing 'High Def Babes', and calculating input lag with a degree of accuracy that would make Patek Philippe proud.

So, IMO, and in conclusion, those corner bleeds are absolutely nothing to spend another moment of thought upon and yes mine has them too.
 
Hey erictooth, how long have you had your monitor? Mine had some backlight bleed or whatever you want to call it. But then, after a few weeks, it got better.

Betaboy: TOO FRICKIN' TRUE!!!! HAHAHA
 
You're right Betaboy, I was just checking to see if the amount is normal. It's not bothering me at all anymore, but there are some people who would care about this and it's useful to at least add to the thread for them.

Anyways, I'm really enjoying this monitor now; it's my first IPS. :cool:

Edit: I have a question, how do I get 75hz on this monitor if I'm using an HD5850? Powerstrip's "advanced timing options" doesn't work with the 5xxx series cards. On my last monitor I got 74hz by making a custom driver with the phoenix edid designer, but for some reason it's not working when I do it with this monitor. I'm using displayport by the way (I know it can do 83hz but I just feel like sticking to a standard refresh rate for now). Usually I just use the CVT-RB settings 48/32/80, 3/6/21 but should I do something else?
 
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Betaboy said:
eric...I'd relax about this. Every monitor I've owned or seen will do this to some degree, it's normal. My Viewsonic VX2025wm did this. My U2410 has a glow in the corners as well. It's a limitation of the technology/backlight. Nothing to worry about.

If you really want perfection, get an Eizo, LaCie or a high-end NEC. You will pay over $1000. Even then there will be issues, most likely input lag or your credit card interest rate.

Otherwise, just enjoy your monitor.

These forums are the very definition of a double-edged sword. On one hand, you can get good advice about potential REAL problems with monitors such as the dithering in the U2410, which has thankfully been fixed.

On the other hand, these forums can turn even a mild-mannered, relaxed individual into and obsessive-compulsive, anxiety-ridden, self-trained monitor fault finding technician - who spends hours peering into the screen at bizarre angles while hanging upside-down from the ceiling, shining UV beams into refractory lenses at the anti-glare coating. Hunting for dead pixels with your eye an inch from the screen, adding 'Lagom' to your Favorites bar replacing 'High Def Babes', and calculating input lag with a degree of accuracy that would make Patek Philippe proud.

So, IMO, and in conclusion, those corner bleeds are absolutely nothing to spend another moment of thought upon and yes mine has them too.
Click to expand...

Wow Betaboy, that's the most impressive comment I've read all week and the week's not even over yet!
 
ebolamonkey001 said:
Has anyone seen the viewsonic version of this panel? Is it equal, better, worse?
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At least one guy has it: http://www.hardforum.com/showpost.php?p=1035056521&postcount=8

Cnet review seems to be the only even half-assed review out there. Which is too bad since it doesn't go exactly very far with color measurements etc.

I guess the pretty big price difference between is explained by better build quality (chassis, even in the Cnet review video you can see it is quite wobbly with reportedly not much adjustability), DisplayPort and maybe rest is "NEC" extra. One oddity in the ViewSonic (this I read from another, non-English, forum) is that it is not possible to change brightness/contrast in sRGB mode.
 
Mine shows up tomorrow... kind of excited, kind of worried I'll hate it compared to the 3007WFP...

It's a downgrad,e but eventually planning 3 of them with eyefinity
 
Betaboy said:
eric...I'd relax about this. Every monitor I've owned or seen will do this to some degree, it's normal. My Viewsonic VX2025wm did this. My U2410 has a glow in the corners as well. It's a limitation of the technology/backlight. Nothing to worry about.

If you really want perfection, get an Eizo, LaCie or a high-end NEC. You will pay over $1000. Even then there will be issues, most likely input lag or your credit card interest rate.

Otherwise, just enjoy your monitor.

These forums are the very definition of a double-edged sword. On one hand, you can get good advice about potential REAL problems with monitors such as the dithering in the U2410, which has thankfully been fixed.

On the other hand, these forums can turn even a mild-mannered, relaxed individual into and obsessive-compulsive, anxiety-ridden, self-trained monitor fault finding technician - who spends hours peering into the screen at bizarre angles while hanging upside-down from the ceiling, shining UV beams into refractory lenses at the anti-glare coating. Hunting for dead pixels with your eye an inch from the screen, adding 'Lagom' to your Favorites bar replacing 'High Def Babes', and calculating input lag with a degree of accuracy that would make Patek Philippe proud.

So, IMO, and in conclusion, those corner bleeds are absolutely nothing to spend another moment of thought upon and yes mine has them too.
Click to expand...


This has to be one of the most accurate true to life and funny posts I have read in a long while! I laughed myself silly.

It describes me to a tea....or at least the old me...before I got over my return twitch habit.

Be reassured Eric that the glow on the Dell U2410 at least in my experience is worse than on the NEC, so you have done well.

If you like the monitor and there aren't too many things wrong with it, or they are realtively mild/non-obtrusive then consider yourself fortunate and enjoy your monitor.

There is always a better one right around the corner! :)

EDIT: And yes I am guilty of taking pics of my monitor at bizarre angles, standing on my desk, half upside down....though there were no chandeliers involved...HAHAHAHAHA!
 
seems like my monitor is flaking out on me.

it gets brighter, than dimmer and keeps flickering.. anyone have any idea why?
 
erictooth said:
Edit: I have a question, how do I get 75hz on this monitor if I'm using an HD5850? Powerstrip's "advanced timing options" doesn't work with the 5xxx series cards. On my last monitor I got 74hz by making a custom driver with the phoenix edid designer, but for some reason it's not working when I do it with this monitor. I'm using displayport by the way (I know it can do 83hz but I just feel like sticking to a standard refresh rate for now). Usually I just use the CVT-RB settings 48/32/80, 3/6/21 but should I do something else?
Click to expand...

I'm in the same situation and I haven't found a solution to it yet. The edid thing doesn't work with displayport.
 
Belkington said:
I'm in the same situation and I haven't found a solution to it yet. The edid thing doesn't work with displayport.
Click to expand...

I was actually able to get the EDID from a computer with an x1650 over the dvi cable, open it up and enter the necessary info to get 80hz. I used the following settings (CVT-RB) because it's a display timing standard, but I'm a total noob about this stuff so there is probably a better way to go about this.

H. Front porch = 48
H. Sync width = 32
H. Back porch = 80
V. Front porch = 3
V. Sync width = 6
V. Back porch = 21

Anyways, I set the pixel clock to 184.70 with those settings and it gave me 80hz. Unfortunately when I connected the monitor over displayport and installed the driver that I used Moninfo create, I got occasional glitches on the screen at 80hz. I also tried 75hz but there were even worse artifacts.

Any ideas? Should I use different settings for the front porch/etc? I may try 72hz and see what happens. Also, if anyone is interested in a working driver I may be able to make, let me know.

Edit: I forgot to mention that using the same settings over VGA, there were no glitches at either 80 or 75hz at all and it looked perfect.

Edit 2: Tried the settings I saw on page 44 of this thread with a pixel clock of 166 and got the same artifacts.
 
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Got mine today... no dead pixels, backlight bleed / IPS glow is way better than my 3007wfp, better than any monitor I've seen to be honest.

Looks awesome, big downgrade from the 30" but with 3 of them in portrait / landscape it should look quite awesome. I'm excited :D
 
In my optional windows update is the following update, is this the driver, should i install it or is there a better one out there? i never used the CD which came with the monitor.

NEC - Display - NEC MultiSync EA231WMi(Digital) 11KB published 23/10/09

Thank you
 
ToastyX said:
DisplayPort requires different timing parameters. See my post here: http://www.hardforum.com/showpost.php?p=1034854552&postcount=403
Click to expand...

Thanks a bunch, I've gotten 83hz working perfectly. I don't really know what timings to use and how they affect LCDs (I kind of understand how it works for CRTs though). How would I figure out what values to use for 80hz and 75hz?

By the way, for anyone with a 5xxx series card (and you can't use powerstrip), here's the driver. I've only tested it on Windows 7 + HD5850 + displayport. If for some reason it doesn't work, at worst you'll have to either boot in safemode and uninstall the driver or switch to a dvi cable temporarily to uninstall it.

Edit: Aahhhhhhhhhhhh, no more tearing in any games anymore (with vsync off). Even Dirt 2 is tear-free now. :D
 
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Well, I got mine yesterday. I must say, I was quite impressed. For $300, it is quite the bargain. Pics and more details later tonight.
 
erictooth said:
Thanks a bunch, I've gotten 83hz working perfectly. I don't really know what timings to use and how they affect LCDs (I kind of understand how it works for CRTs though). How would I figure out what values to use for 80hz and 75hz?
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Trial and error. This monitor is very finicky. I had to do a lot of testing to figure out what to use.

Bump up the vertical back porch to 16 and you should be able to use the 83 Hz timing parameters for 75 Hz and 80 Hz.
 
ToastyX said:
Trial and error. This monitor is very finicky. I had to do a lot of testing to figure out what to use.

Bump up the vertical back porch to 16 and you should be able to use the 83 Hz timing parameters for 75 Hz and 80 Hz.
Click to expand...

Alright, thanks :D
 
Can someone make a DVI .inf with upped Hz? I have a display port cable on the way but the ghosting in Dirt2 is driving me nuts
 
well everyone with the new Rig complete i was in the market for a New display. I debated for sometime getting the dell 2209wa or the nec ea231wmi and asked many questions. I stumbled upon the Bit-tech review of the NEC and they gave everything a 9 saying "However, the outstanding element of this screen is the brilliant quality of the panel"

I hope it lives up to its Review :) should be here this week im getting excited. my main Fear is the 14 MS compared to the dell 2209wa 5ms. i just dont want a monitor that has a shitload or ghosting at all.
 
4LC4PON3 said:
well everyone with the new Rig complete i was in the market for a New display. I debated for sometime getting the dell 2209wa or the nec ea231wmi and asked many questions. I stumbled upon the Bit-tech review of the NEC and they gave everything a 9 saying "However, the outstanding element of this screen is the brilliant quality of the panel"

I hope it lives up to its Review :) should be here this week im getting excited. my main Fear is the 14 MS compared to the dell 2209wa 5ms. i just dont want a monitor that has a shitload or ghosting at all.
Click to expand...

14ms is more of an honest quote. For example, I had a Samsung SyncMaster 930B that's quoted as an 8ms panel and it's no slower than my ViewSonic VX2240w rated for 2ms. Specs aren't everything.
 
Mr. Bluntman said:
14ms is more of an honest quote. For example, I had a Samsung SyncMaster 930B that's quoted as an 8ms panel and it's no slower than my ViewSonic VX2240w rated for 2ms. Specs aren't everything.
Click to expand...

14ms is black to white response time, where Dells 5ms is grey to grey. Dunno why NEC doesnt state the GtG response time, should sell much better. I assume that if EA231WMi doesnt have any overdrive, its GtG response time is about 8ms, which isn't too shabby.
 
well thats what the bit-tech review said. with all their testing they didnt gt any ghosting or slow downs. im excited first time ever using or seeing IPS and first time ever spending over 300+ on a monitor.
 
MaZa said:
14ms is black to white response time, where Dells 5ms is grey to grey. Dunno why NEC doesnt state the GtG response time, should sell much better. I assume that if EA231WMi doesnt have any overdrive, its GtG response time is about 8ms, which isn't too shabby.
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TFTCentral:
While the response time is quoted at 14ms, and indicative of a non overdriven panel, the performance does suggest some degree of RTC is perhaps being used still. Without it altogether, you would normally see a more obvious ghost image behind the moving car, and we've seen this on several non-RTC screens where it is far more noticeable than anything here. I expect the panel is using some degree of RTC, but nowhere near as agressively as on the 6ms G2G panels in the other H-IPS based models. They have however stuck with the modest 14ms figure, either because it gives a more accurate comparative view of the screens performance compared with other competing models (which it seems to do), or because perhaps the ISO black > white response time is actually the fastest transition here, despite the RTC and so they've stuck with that number rather than a G2G figure. Either way, it appears to me like it's being used to a small degree, but not nearly as heavily as the other screens. As a result, there are no signs of RTC artefacts, overshoot or white / black trailing which is good.​
Could that (underlined) be possible?

I agree that it's odd not to specify G2G figure since this millisecond war has become like this (well, yet to see decimals being mentioned, lol). Most webshops just say "response time" and most people don't know the difference between rise/fall and G2G figures, so not giving and an official G2G figure definitely doesn't help here. Or maybe it is partly true that this monitor was meant for offices and was never supposed to be such a hit.
 
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erictooth said:
By the way, for anyone with a 5xxx series card (and you can't use powerstrip), here's the driver. I've only tested it on Windows 7 + HD5850 + displayport. If for some reason it doesn't work, at worst you'll have to either boot in safemode and uninstall the driver or switch to a dvi cable temporarily to uninstall it.

Edit: Aahhhhhhhhhhhh, no more tearing in any games anymore (with vsync off). Even Dirt 2 is tear-free now. :D
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Thanks for that, i'm probably being a noob but I can't get your file to load. When I go to update the display driver in control panel, it can't see the file even though it's in the folder i'm directing it to, any suggestions?
 
Roch said:
Thanks for that, i'm probably being a noob but I can't get your file to load. When I go to update the display driver in control panel, it can't see the file even though it's in the folder i'm directing it to, any suggestions?
Click to expand...

Here are the steps to load the driver (if you're using Win7. Should be very similar for Vista):

1. Right click monitor in Device Manager and select Update Driver Software...
2. Click Browse my computer for driver software
3. Click Let me pick from a list of device drivers on my computer
4. Click Have Disk... in the lower right corner
5. Browse to the folder where the .inf file is and select it.
6. You may receive a warning that the driver isn't signed, this is expected since it's not WHQL certified, etc. I promise it won't mess up your monitor or your computer :p

Let me know if you still have trouble :)
 
I'm thinking of replacing my current BenQ G2400WD (fairly decent for a TN panel) with the EA231WMi. Any thoughts, is it worth replacing a 1920x1200 monitor with a 1920x1080 one? The main uses are movies, games, web browsing and the extra vertical space is welcome.

Since my current BenQ has a TN panel, the colors, contrast and viewing angles are not quite as good as I'd like. It's fine for regular Windows use (web browsing, working with documents) but the poor level of blacks is especially annoying when watching a movie.

So my question is, how much better is the image quality of an E-IPS panel (EA231WMi) compared to an average TN panel (G2400WD)? Unfortunately I've never seen an IPS panel with my own eyes and I don't want to spend €365 and feel disappointed afterwards.

If the NEC was bigger and had a higher resoluton (like the 24" 1920x1200 I have now) I probably would have ordered it already, but right now I can't make up my mind whether to get the NEC or wait until 1920x1200 or higher res IPS monitors become affordable (2560x1440 would be sweet).
 
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